Self-rimming sink mounting



Jan. 30,1968 w. AQJUERGENS ETAL 2 SELF-RIMMING SINKMOUNTING Filed Sept. 27, 1965 FIG./

INVENTORS WILLIAM A. JUERGENS SAMUEL G.MAGUIRE ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,365,732 SELF-RIMMING SINK MOUNTING William A. Juergens and Samuel G. Maguire, Dallas, Tex., assignors to Verson Manufacturing (10., Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 490,524 6 Claims. (Cl. 4-187) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mounting system for a sink or lavatory bowl having a fiat peripheral rim including a mounting panel having an opening for receiving the bowl. A horizontal groove is formed in the outer Wall structure of the bowl having an upwardly and outwardly facing surface spaced below the undersurface of the rim. A pair of C-shaped clamps are positioned in the front quadrants of the bowl and engage the inner surface of the opening at an upper end of each of the clamps. Each of the clamps also engages the upfacing surface of the groove in the bowl at an intermediate point. Each of the clamps has an adjustable screw threadedly received in the lower end thereof for engaging the undersurface of the panel. A strut member extends from an intermediate point of each clamp to abut the side of the bowl. Another pair of similarly configured C- shaped clamps are disposed in the back quadrants of the bowl for engaging the opening in the panel, other grooves formed in the bowl, and the underside of the panel to provide secure support to the bowl.

This invention relates to sink or lavatory installations and, more particularly, to the clamping of'rimmed sanitary units.

Various types of fixtures have been heretofore devised for securing sanitary units, such as lavaton'es and the like, substantially flush in a mounting or supporting panel. In sanitary ware adapted to be flush mounted with a surface, the rim of the unit is positioned inside an opening in the panel. Various frames have been employed with clamping means for securing a unit as to depend from the clamping mechanism, where it is maintained by such clamping mechanism in contact with the under surface of the frame, establishing a substantially watertight joint around the edge of the unit.

Rimmed units adapted to overlie the edge of an opening in a panel have presented a more difficult problem. Various types of fastening means have been employed for clamping such units in place. The present invention represents an improvement over such prior art systems and provides a unique combination of a rimmed unit and a clamp.

More particularly, in accordance with the present invention, a mounting is provided for rimmed sanitary units having a bowl depending from the rim and extending through a hole in a support panel. Structure on the bowl provides for an annular peripheral groove spaced from the under edge of the rim. A C-shaped clamp is provided for three-point contact. The first point is at the center of the clamp where a clamp lug engages the upfacing edge of the peripheral groove. The second point is the corner formed by the under side of the rim and the inner face of the panel opening. The third point is an adjustable contact provided by a screw member which is served through the lower extremity of the C-shaped clamp and engages the underside of the panel immediately under the under surface of the rim.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and for further objects and advantages thereof, reference may now be had to the following description 3,355,732 Patented Jan. 30, 1968 "ice taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a rimmed lavatory mounted on a panel shown in section;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom view of a lavatory installation employing four clamps;

FIGURE 3 illustrates a rear clamp to be employed in connection with the front clamp shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 illustrates a modification of the clamp of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a lavatory 10 is shown mounted in an opening 11 in a panel 12. The lavatory 10 has a rim 15 which extends as an integral part of, but substantially beyond the periphery of a bowl 16 which is integral with rim 15. The lavatory is thus adapted to be placed in a circular opening 11 in the panel 12 and to be clamped therein.

The bowl 16 is formed with a pair of grooves 17 and 18. The groove 17 extends from a point 19, of zero depth, around the right side of the lavatory 10 to a like point on the rear surface of the basin. The maximum depth point 20 of the groove is found midway along the side of the bowl 16. The groove 18 similarly is shaped as to be of varying depth as it encircles the left side of the bowl 16. The groove 17 has a lower or upfacing surface 21 which is planar and parallel to the under surface of the rim 1'5. Groove 17 has an upper surface 22 which is slightly beveled upward and outward. Groove 18 is of like configuration.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1, the surface 21 of the groove 17 lies in the same plane as the bottom surface 13 of the panel 12. It is to be understood that this relationship is not in any Way critical. The system may be employed with panels either thicker or thinner than panel 12.

As best shown in FIGURE 1, the lavatory is clamped in opening 11 by clamps 30 and 31. Clamps 30 and 31 are shown positioned along line 32, FIGURE 2, which is transverse to the front-to-back axis 35 of the installation.

Clamp .39 is of C-shaped configuration, having an upper tip 41 which has surfaces facing upwardly and outwardly at right angles one to the other. The upward facing surface engages the under side of the rim 15. The outwardly facing surface abuts the inner face of the opening 11. The lower tip 42 of the C-shaped clamp 30 has a threaded opening through which a screw 43 passes. The screw 43 is adjustable and is designed to engage the under surface 13 of the panel 12. A lug 44 extends outwardly from an intermediate portion of the spine of the C-shaped clamp 30. The lug 44 faces downward and extends into the groove 17 to engage the lower surface 21 thereof. A strut 45 is provided with a face plate 46 which engages the outer surface of the bowl 16 at a point below the groove 17.

It will readily be seen that with the lug 44 engaging the surface 21 of groove 17, movement of the screw 43 upward will exert a downward pressure on the groove 17. The rim 15 is thus forced down onto the upper surface of the panel 12. Similarly, the screw 48 in clamp 31 causes a similar force to be exerted on the left side of the lavatory 10.

Having described the general nature of the lavatory and the associated clamps, reference should now be had to FIGURE 2 wherein a preferred mode of clamping a lavatory has been illustrated.

Bowl 16 is of circular form. Bowl 16 is located as to be eccentric with respect to the circular opening 11 in the panel 12. That is, the front of the bowl 16 is much closer to the perimeter of the opening 11 than the back. The back portion of the bowl 16 is truncated along line 16a so that there will be adequate room for fittings to be installed in the supply openings 50 extending through the rear portion of the rim 15.

The outer perimeter of the rim 15 is represented by the dotted line 15a. The flange thus overlies the upper surface of the panel 12. In practice, the clamps 30 and 31 are positioned at points corresponding with 135 and 225", respectively, from the longitudinal axis 35. The

.lateral span of clamps 30 and 31 may be relatively small,

as of dimension 51. To install, the short clamps 30 and 31 are inserted into the space between the bowl 16 and the inner wall of the opening 11 at the rear of bowl 16. By sliding the clamps 30 and 31 forward along the respective grooves, they will reach positions where the outer faces of the tip 41, and its counterpart on clamp 31, will abut the inner surface of the opening 11, and flange 46 and its counterpart contact the surface of the bowl 16.

Preferably, the opening 11 will be sized and the bowl positioned such that the clamps 30 and 31 will register with the bowl and the opening at about the 135 and 225 locations, as shown in FIGURE 2.

Preferably, the installation will involve the use of four clamps. TWo of the clamps will be short, having the lateral span 51. The rear clamps 32 and 33 will be of the type illustrated in FIGURE 3. Clamp 32, FIGURE 3, has the same general features as clamps 30 and 31. It differs principally in its greater lateral span 52. With the greater span, the clamps 32 and 33 are placed in position at the rear of the bowl 16. By sliding them outward, they will make contact with the opening 11 and with the surface of the bowl 16 at points in the region of 45 and 315 locations. With the clamps thus positioned, the screws 43, 48 and 53 may be tightened, firmly to clamp the lavatory in position.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there is provided a combination of a lavatory having a circular bowl and an integral rim, a clamp, and a mounting panel having a circular opening therein. The bowl is characterized by a grooved structure below the rim. The bowl is positioned eccentrically within a circular opening in the panel. Clamps, adapted to engage the corner formed by the lava tory rim and the panel opening, also engage the upper surface of the bowl groove. The clamps are provided with contrasting lateral spans for applying forces to the bowl at points spaced along the periphery of the bowl.

In FIGURE 4, a modified form of the clamp has been shown. While in FIGURE 3 the clamp is shown as being a relatively heavy section, the corresponding support is provided in the system of FIGURE 4 by the struts 60 and 61 which extend between the bottom flange 62 and the upwardly sloping top flange 63. The shoulder 64 serves to engage the outer surface of the bowl as the lug 65 engages the surface of the groove. It will be noted that the lug 65 is not slotted or relieved as is the case in FIGURES 1 and 3. It will be understood that a lug configuration, as shown in FIGURE 4, may be employed in the lugs of FIGURES 1 and 3, if desired. The lugs of FIG- URES 1 and 3 are preferred over the lug of FIGURE 4 primarily because of the ease of extrusion of sections from which the units can be fabricated. However, the lugs may be formed from extruded material, they may be pressed, or otherwise fabricated.

The two grooves 17 and 18 are characterized by depths which are graded from zero depths at the ends thereof to maxirna depths at the midpoints thereof. While such grooves have been shown in FIGURE 1, it will be appreciated that, where the wall of the bowl 16 is of sufiicient thickness, a continuous groove may be used.

Further, while a round bowl has been shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2, it will be appreciated that other shapes may be employed. Oval or square bowls may be mounted in the same manner as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 where a peripheral groove portion of the bowl serves to seat the clamps. Where the clamps are of the configuration illustrated in FIGURES 1, 3 and 4, they may be inserted by sliding a lug along the periphery of the bowl as to become wedged in a groove. However, they may also be inserted by loosening the screw such as screw 48, FIG- URE 1, and tilting the clamp 31 such that the upper tip 31a extends up into the corner bounded by the wall of the opening 11 and the under surface of the rim 15. The tab 31b may then be rotated into the groove 18. As the screw 48 is then tightened, the end 31a will slide downward along the walls of the opening 11.

Having described the invention in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that further modifications may now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover such modifications as fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an installation of a fixture having a bowl extending through an opening in a support panel and a rim extending from the perimeter of the bowl and engaging the upper surface of the panel, the combination which comprises:

(a) bowl structure having at least one outwardly facing groove with a horizontal upfacing grooved surface spaced a predetermined distance below the lower surface of said rim,

(b) a C-shaped clamp having upper and lower tips, an outwardly facing surface of said upper tip engaging a surface within said opening and said lower tip spaced below said support panel,

(c) a lug extending outwardly from a midportion on said C-shaped clamp a distance below the outwardly facing surface of said upper tip to engage the upfacing surface of said groove,

(d) a strut member extending from said C-shaped clamp a distance below said lug and engaging the side portion of said bowl, and

(e) a screw member engaging and extending through said lower tip of said C-shaped clamp along a line which lies on the side of said upper tip opposite said lug for engaging the lower surface of said panel.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said groove portion in the bowl has a depth which is graded from zero at the ends thereof to a maximum at the midpoint thereof. 7

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the height of said C-shaped clamp is substantially greater than the thickness of said panel.

4. A mounting system for a ceramic fiat-rimmed bowl which comprises: V V

(a) a mounting panel having an opening therein,

(b) an outer wall structure on said bowl having upwardly and outwardly facing peripheral groove means spaced a predetermined distance below the under surface of said rim, said bowl being positioned in said opening in said panel and engaging a portion of the upper surface of said panel,

(c) a first pair of C-shaped clamps positioned in the front quadrants, respectively, of said bowl and engaging the inner surface of said opening at an upper end of each C-shaped clamp, engaging an upfacing surface of said groove means at one intermediate point on each said clamp, engaging a side portion of said bowl at another intermediate point on each said clamp, and having an adjustable screw member threadably disposed in a lower end of each said clatilnp for engaging the under surface of said panel, an

(d) a second pair of C-shaped clamps similarly en.-

gaging said opening, said groove means, and said panel in the back quadrants of said bowl.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 in which said opening and the upper portion of said bowl are generally circularv and are eccentrically oriented, one with respect to the other, and in which the lateral span of the second pair of clamps is substantially greater than the lateral span of the first pair of clamps to maintain the eccentric relationship between said bowl and said opening.

6. A lavatory adapted to accommodate clamping means comprising a ceramic body having a bowl structure integral with a wide peripheral flange at the upper edge portion of the bowl and integral with structure forming an exterior peripheral outfacing surface below said flange for engagement by said clamping means, said up facing surface having horizontal widths which are graded from zero at the ends thereof to maxima at the midpoints thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Stevens 4-170 X Lyon 4-187 Lyon 4187 Lyon 4-187 Tiller 4170 10 HAROLD J. GROSS, Primary Examiner. 

